#africaisnotacountry - crossposted from saidia.org

Submitted by Tobias Eigen on 17 May, 2012 - 01:58

The topic of my Ignite talk tonight is #africaisnotacountry.

What is Ignite Bainbridge?

In the words of fellow OfficeXpats member Leif Utne:

The first-ever Ignite Bainbridge! is less than 24 hours away! Join us tomorrow night (May 16) at the Pavilion for a fun and fast-paced festival of stories and ideas. Hear 14 Bainbridge Islanders present on topics ranging from African development to local currencies to karaoke. The Ignite format is simple: 5 minutes, 20 slides, 15 seconds/slide, auto-advancing. The fun starts with a mixer at OfficeXpatsat 6:30. Presentations begin downstairs in the movie theater at 7:15. Tickets are $5 at the door.http://www.ignitebainbridge.com/

Intro to #africaisnotacountry

My simple goal with this 5 minute talk – and this blog post and hopefully the video that will be shared online after the event – is that it is important to be conscious of the fact that Africa is not a country.

In fact, Africa is a continent – a very large continent.

To put Africa’s size in comparable context – the land mass of Africa is big enough to contain the United States (including Alaska), China, and all of Europe.

Africa contains 52 countries and an incredible diversity of languages, cultures, and ethnicities.

Why am I talking about #africaisnotacountry?

Africa matters to me because it is a big part of my life. I have devoted many years to running Kabissa, a nonprofit that supports grassroots organizations throughout Africa seeking to put technology to work for the benefit of their communities.  My work with Kabissa has taken me to many countries – from Nigeria to Morocco to Kenya – to train people working for civil society groups on integrating the Internet into their work.

I have an international background – I was raised in the United States, Germany (where my parents are from), Botswana and Kenya. I was in Botswana as a very young child – my earliest friends were Batswana and I am told my first words were in Setswana, though I have forgotten all of it now. I spent formative teenage years in Nairobi, Kenya where I graduated from high school. The years in between I spent mostly in Washington, DC, with stints and holidays in Germany. My father worked for the World Bank and my mother was a doctor, and Africa was often discussed at the dinner table – and many Africans came to dinner!

When I came back to the United States to attend university, I was struck by how little people seemed to know about Africa, its size and its diversity. I had people showing me Africa on an atlas and asking me where South Africa begins. Not realizing that it can be cold (and that it even can snow) in Africa. That there is no such language as “African”.

Still today people frequently refer to “developing nations such as Africa and India” or “Africa is a country at the brink of crisis”.

You are missing out if you think Africa is a country

People who do this are missing out on wonderful knowledge. It is fascinating to understand Africa as an enormously diverse place with people of many languages, cultures, religions, physical features, skin tones. Diverse climate zones, temperatures. Diverse geography from deserts to mountains to lakes.

You are not helping when you say Africa is a country

There are many problems in Africa. But when politicians or even charities refer to Africa as a country they are ignoring the fact that there is a wide diversity of conditions under which Africans are living. Many are living quite well and are probably more comfortable than most Americans – it is false to assume that all Africans are starving or suffering.

More importantly, the 52 countries each have their own distinct governments, laws, economies and societies. This means that it is actually impossible to generalize on their problems or the solutions to those problems. And it’s not helpful.

The fact is that the solutions to Africa’s problems lie in Africa – and are being worked on by committed people seeking to improve the lives of people in their own communities. If you want to help them, ignore the stereotype images of starving Africans and instead use the Internet to connect with Africans and do a little research. Find and support organizations working locally in their own communities. Nice places to start? Kabissa,Global Giving, See Your Impact.

So. Join me in spreading the word that #africaisnotacountry.

On twitter you can call out folks referring to Africa as a country or share anecdotes using the #africaisnotacountry hashtag. I will pick it up and get warm and fuzzy feelings when you do, and maybe even post roundups to my blog.

And anywhere, anytime when you hear anybody refer to Africa as a country please interrupt them and say “dude, come on. Africa is not a country!”

Stop by to visit Kabissa at World Bank NGO Fair on 23 May, 2012

Submitted by Tobias Eigen on 16 May, 2012 - 18:06

I will be representing Kabissa at a table in the World Bank atrium for the World Bank NGO Fair on 23 May from 11:30am to 2pm, alongside fellow board members Jeff Thindwa and Neema Mgana. Stop by to see us!

Former board member Daniel Ritchie will be nearby representing the Partnership for Transparency Fund. The NGO Fair is being organized by the 1818 Society of World Bank Retirees: "Our basic objective is to highlight worthy non-profits, encourage colleagues to consider creating their own NGOs, serving on Boards or as volunteers and to promote philanthropic giving by Bank staff and retirees to our organizations."

Kabissa is honored to have been invited to join the fair in recognition of the vision of Peter Eigen and Daniel Ritchie, two World Bank retirees and 1818 Society members who were instrumental in creating and guiding Kabissa over many years. Both Peter and Daniel retired from the Kabissa board this year after many years of valuable service but remain actively involved in an advisory capacity.

I am greatly looking forward to meeting friends at colleagues at the World Bank who stop by at our table to get updated on Kabissa activities these days and to discuss opportunities for getting involved in our work or supporting us. World Bank Staff and retirees can donate to Kabissa through the Community Connections Campaign and have their donation go twice as far, since the Bank makes a corporate matching contribution to all donations. For details and to donate, please contact Viki Betancourt at (202) 473-9127 or by email vbetancourt@worldbank.org. (in last year's campaign, World Bank staff donated nearly $5,000 - thank you!). 

Our main program is to serve the networking, ICT peer learning and information sharing needs of African NGOs through our volunteer-led online community platform. African NGOs can sign up for free to create profile pages in the Kabissa directory, contribute to the community blog and subscribe to our regular member newsletter. 

A new program started this year is the Africa Roundtable, a lunchtime event to bring people together (face to face and remotely via Skype) with a shared interest in Africa for lightning introductions and to learn from featured speakers. A roundtable event in DC will take place on 24 May at the Washington International School, featuring three remarkable organizations: Aid for Africa, Lubuto Library Project and the Maasai Girls Education Fund. Click here for info and to register!

Celebrate Kabissa - Community Skype Call

Submitted by Tobias Eigen on 10 May, 2012 - 19:52

Update: this meeting has been postponed due to lack of response so far - no problem at all but we'll find a better time that suits everyone better! Please leave a comment below suggesting times/dates that work for you. Thanks! :)

Kabissa volunteers are proposing to meet on skype to celebrate recent achievements. We have done some amazing things recently and I am deeply proud of our team and community. This is not a work meeting but an opportunity for us to meet and hear each other's voices and connect with members in the Kabissa community.

Participation is free and will be organized via this blog post.

To RSVP yes/no/maybe, to introduce yourself, and to suggest topics/questions for the agenda, please simply add a comment to this post - details will be added below. 

If not enough people RSVP we will reschedule the celebration for next month. 

If there is sufficient interest and capacity for organizing, we can make this a regular monthly event. 

National Renewable Energy Day in Tanzania - June 6th and 7th 2012 - Dar es Salaam

Submitted by olujimi Akindele on 8 May, 2012 - 21:35

The United Nations has declared 2012 the year of sustainable energy for all.

Furthermore, access to modern energy is critical to Africa's achievement of the millenium development goals. Please Check out the website for the National Renewable Energy Day Exhibition in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, June 6-7, 2012.


https://sites.google.com/site/tareadoc














































It will be a great showcase for the possibilities and challenges of expanding the use of renewable energy.


There will be an exhibtion, workshops, a site visit at a renewable energy installation, and an excellent networking opportunity for renewable energy and environmental stakeholders across the country and region.



    


      
  

 
  

  

    

  

          
Cameroon Anti-Bullying Common Initiative Group 

    
    
          Submitted by Sami Ghazi on 8 May, 2012 - 05:23
    
  


    

      

    

            

                            

        





    

            

                    Cameroon Anti-Bullying Common Initiative Group         

        




Case studies profile Kabissa members that inspire our volunteers and the entire Kabissa community. They are meant to provide Kabissa’s members with key learnings and spark ideas and discussion. 


In this case study, we tell the story of the Cameroon Anti-Bullying Common Initiative Group (CABCIG), which confronts the problem of bullying in secondary schools in Cameroon, with the goal of creating an open and inclusive environment where children are focused on learning. 

    


      
  

 
  

  

    

  

          
Kabissa Newsletters

    
    
    
  


    

      
Kabissa Newsletters, especially Kabissa Gong Gong (monthly roundup of Kabissa activity) and Special Mailings (timely opportunities targeting local communities or areas of interest), are an integral and essential part of the Kabissa networking platform. Make sure you are subscribed to the mailing lists and are getting the mailings! 


Frequently Asked Questions about Newsletters





  
  

        
      
 

  
  


  
  
  
  

            

      

      What Kabissa mailing lists are available?      
 

      

      
The following four mailing lists are currently available:


    

  1. Kabissa Gong Gong
    Monthly newsletter, typically sent out on the first Tuesday of every month. Contains comprehensive summary of activity in the Kabissa network. We expect all members will want to subscribe to this newsletter unless you visit the site regularly or subscribe to the Kabissa RSS news feed. 
     
    2. 

  2. Special Mailings 
    Time sensitive opportunities targeting a specific location or topic of interest. We expect all members will want to subscribe to this newsletter. 
     
    3. 

  3. Kabissa Progress Updates
    Periodic newsletter, typically sent out 3 or 4 times a year. Contains updates from the Kabissa team about our programs and organizational development. The target audience for this mailing list is friends, partners and financial supporters of Kabissa who care about our progress but are not interested in participating in the network on a regular basis. 
     
    4. 

  4. Africa Roundtable 
    Typically 2-3 emails per month. The Africa Roundtable mailing list provides information about upcoming roundtable events organized through Kabissa. Details at http://www.africaroundtable.org
    5. 


                          
 
      
 
          

      

      How do I contribute to the Kabissa Gong Gong monthly member newsletter?      
 

      

      
The best way to ensure your organization and its work is represented in the newsletter is to join our online community platform (it's free), add your organization to the directory and start posting to the community blog. As you get comfortable with how Kabissa works and become an active contributor, you may also want to consider applying to have a case study written about you by one of our volunteers. 

                          
 
      
 
          

      

      How do I send out a Special Mailing through Kabissa?      
 

      

      
Contact editors@kabissa.org to request that our editorial team send out a special mailing to our membership with a time sensitive opportunity targeting a specific location or topic of interest. To help speed the process along, please post the announcement you wish to send out to the blog ahead of time.

                          
 
      
 
          

      

      How do I subscribe to Kabissa newsletters?      
 

      

      
Kabissa newsletters are free and are delivered by email. You can subscribe using the forms on the sidebar at http://www.kabissa.org/newsletters or, better, you can join Kabissa and select the newsletters you want on the signup form or by editing your account settings. If you have any questions about subscribing, contact editors@kabissa.org. 

                          
 
      
 
          

      

      How do I unsubscribe from a newsletter?      
 

      

      
To unsubscribe, click on the unsubscribe links at the bottom of any newsletter you receive from Kabissa. You can also unsubscribe by logging into http://www.kabissa.org and editing your account settings. If you have any difficulty at all or have questions about unsubscribing, please contact editors@kabissa.org.

                          
 
      
 
          

      

      Where does the 'Gong Gong' name come from?      
 

      

      
When we first created the monthly member newsletter and were brainstorming names, a volunteer from Ghana suggested the name Gong Gong. In Ghana, the gong gong is the messenger who brings the news from village to village. We all agreed this was a fitting name for a newsletter intended to carry the news from member to member in the Kabissa network. 

                          
 
      
 
          

      

      Why are there gaps in the newsletters archive?      
 

      

      
While Kabissa has delivered monthly newsletters since 2000, we have experimented with different systems over the years and have not yet brought all back issues into the archive. There were also several periods since 2008, when we launched the new community website and shifted to an all-volunteer operation, when we suspended the newsletter due to lack of capacity to produce them. 

                          
 
      
 
        
 

  
 


 


    


      
  

 
  

  

    

  

          
Does aid need a 12-step program?

    
    
          Submitted by Jennifer Lentfer on 5 May, 2012 - 14:12
    
  


    

      


“Let go and let God.” It’s a mantra of Alcoholics Anonymous. And after the last week or so, I’m wondering if it’s time for international aid to adopt the same approach to recovery (with more politically correct secular references of course).




Last week I attended the “Summit for Aid Effectiveness in Global Health: Making Country Leadership a Priority,” hosted by MIDEGO. Then earlier this week is was the InterAction Forum 2012, “Engage * Learn * Build,” and ending up yesterday at the Chesapeake Bay Organization Development Network Annual Meeting, “Shifting Organizations from Reactive to Resilient.” (You can check out my Storify-ed tweets from the events here, here, and here respectively.)


But it was the framing questions for MIDEGO’s event that helped to shape my mindset over these three meetings:


    

  • What does country leadership mean to your work in development?
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  • Are you ready to let go and let countries lead?
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  • How will we know that US dollars are being used effectively if we let countries lead programs?
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  • How do we let go?
    • 



With MIDEGO’s questions in mind all week, I’ve listened to old school “experts” in suits. I’ve listened to “local champions” via Skype from the developing world. I’ve listened to people who identify themselves squarely as supporters of local activists and leaders. And in each of their presentations and in the pursuant discussions, I’ve been listening for answers to these questions for insight into how the shifts needed to make aid more locally responsive can occur.


My conclusion? The international aid industry (and the people that make it up) might need a 12-step program to overcome what ails the system in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century.


So I offer these 12 steps, reworked for us aid workers, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs and volunteers, written as if we had successfully gone through the program and come out the other side—stronger and more devoted to our purpose.


Step 1:  We admitted we were powerless over a project-based mentality--that when we considered the changing world, our frameworks and tools as they had come to define us had become obsolete.


Step 2:  We came to believe that notions of complexity and resilience, as powers greater than ourselves, could help guide us towards more adaptive programming.


Step 3:  We made a decision to turn our will and our roles over to this reality and to the adaptability of natural systems.


Step 4:  We made a searching and fearless inventory of our character as do-gooders and of the limitations of our internal systems in relation to the people we aim to serve.


Step 5:  We admitted to ourselves, our organizations and to our partners (implementing and funding) the exact nature of our faults and misdeeds.


Step 6:  We were entirely ready to practice responsive mechanisms of support (funding and accompaniment) in order to remove our defects of character.


Step 7:  We humbly used the feedback from our partners in the removal of our shortcomings and resolved to work to remove these faults by utilizing robust feedback mechanisms.


Step 8:  We made a list of all persons we harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.


Step 9:  We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.


Step 10:  We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.


Step 11:  We listened, studied, and meditated to improve our awareness of the natural laws and forces that govern the real and valued contributions of changemakers at  all levels, focusing only on accountability to the people we serve and the strength to follow that pursuit above all else.


Step 12:  Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.




Many people and international assistance efforts have started down this path.


Folks, if you haven’t yet embarked on your recovery, what are you waiting for?



    


      
  

 
  

  

    

  

          
Request for Feedback on Kabissa Logic Model (Deadline: 20 May) 

    
    
    
  


    

      
Dear Kabissa Board Members, Volunteers & Members:


For the past month, Tobias and I have been working on a plan to evaluate Kabissa’s work processes and impact to help improve its operations and convince others (including potential donors) of Kabissa’s value.  This process follows the Board’s January decision to carry out a review of Kabissa’s strategy and programs.  We are excited to reach an important milestone in this process – creation of Kabissa’s draft logic model – and now we’d like to get your input.  What follows is a very brief introduction to logic models, a link to the draft logic model in Google Docs for you to review and comment on, and a link to a very brief survey to compile your feedback in some specific areas. 



    


      
  

 
  

    

  
      
  
  
  
  
  

 


          
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